Mercury-pump.



D. J. OBHIEN.

l MERCURY PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. I905. RENEWED APR. 29. 1911.

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D. J. OBRIEN. MERCURY PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.2s. 1905. IIENIewEn APR. 29, I9II.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//VVEN TUE'.

.fwwe/td/Im an@ "UNET ATENT k@EEiE-g DENNIS JOSEPH OBRIEN, OF ySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY ASSGNMENTS, TO STRAIGHT FILAIJIENT LAMP COMPANY, A CGBPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MERCURY-PUMP.

Specification of )Setters `Patent. PVQHQQ SQp 21, i915.

Application filed December 2G, 1905, Serial No. 293,385. Renewed April 29, 1911. Serial No. 624,145.

T0 all lwhom 'it may concern Be it known that l, Dumais JOSEPH OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented certain newrand useful Improvements in Mercury-Pumps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to theV accompanying drawings. p

it has long since been acknowledged in the domain of physics that no mechanical device can equalthe mercury-pump in producing high vacua, whatever may be the method of exhaustion followed. rlhis form of pump is therefore preferred for all such work that is done in laboratories, and its use would prevail in industrial establishments as well, for instance, in factories where incandescent electric lamps are made, if, as hitherto designed, it were not so slow in action, and did it not entail excessive labor or waste of power to. keep it supplied with mercury. The present invention contemplates the improvement of the mercury-pump in these and other respects, to render it generally available for the purpose stated.

To this end, the invention provides means for maintaining a steady ow of mercury and keeping an even pressure thereon during its passage through the pump; meansV for cutting off (automatically and otherwise) the supply of mercury to the pump, should it at any time become excessive; means for trapping the impurities in the mercury as it fiows by certain points, so as to make the pump self-cleaning while in operation; .means for combining thefmercurypump with a mechanical pump, by utilizing the same traps and seals, in the production of the lower vacua; means for returncomprising a pluralityof mercury-pumps of this improved type. Fig. :2 is an end or edge view of the same, looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a mercury-reservoir common to all pumps comprised in the apparatus: Fig. A

Letthe numeral l represent the frame of f the apparatus; 2, an opendrain at the foot thereof; 3, A, and `5, verticallydisposed boards secured to the said frame, inthe rear of the said drain. f

`Within the drain, at or near one end thereof, is placed a receiver 6 for the mercury to be used in the pumps, which receiver consists' preferably of a glass ar with a divided lid 7, and is suitably countersunk in the surface board of the drain to prevent lateral displacement. As shown, this receiver is located. in front of the vertical board 3,'near the lower end of the same.

Directly above the receivery 6, in front of y the upperend of the boardV 3, is another glass jar, cut transversely into two partsS, 9, and inverted, with its rim seated firmly upon a doubled rubber mat 10, which latter is spread over a rshelf l1, resting upon two or more brackets 19, secured to the said board 3. A wooden ring, made of two superimposed sections 13, 14, cross-grained and glued together', is placedbetween the said two parts of the jar, the said ring having external flanges l5, 16, extending up and down respectively and encirclingv each its own part of the j ar. A rubber gasket 17 is interposed between this ring and the upper end of the part 8, and the ring is pressed down thereover, so that the rim of the part 8 shall form a tight joint all around with the margin-of the mat 10, which is effected by means of screw-bolts, as 18, Fig. 3, each screw-bolt having a laterally-extended head or side-piece 19 that bears upon the upper edge of the ring inside the part 9, andthence running down across the ring, along the inner wall of the partfS, and through the mat and shelf, from the under side of which the bolt is drawn by a winged nut 20. The part 8, of which the'mat l0 and shelf 1l thereoutlet-pipe 2l, leading downwardly and coupled to a feed-pipe 22, which is disposed in an approximately horizontal line above and a little to the rear ofthe series of pumps, and is thus adapted to charge the same, through connections hereinafter specified, with mercury drawn from the bottom y of the reservoir. This arrangement insures a rapid fiow ofthe mercury from the 'reservoir to the pumps, and ifa good supply of mercury be kept up, a fair proportion of the `rimpurities therein is retained in the reservoir by floating at the surface. To prevent leakage at the points where they pass through the bottom of the reservoir, the bolts 13 are inwrapped in rubber tubing 23 (Fig. 3), which is secured to the mat 1U by and 25, which may be of glass as suggested in Fi gs. l and 2 of the drawings, or of metal, or a combination of glass and metal. The lower ends of these tubes project somewhat into the receiver, while their upper ends eX- tend into the reservoir suliiciently for the shorter ofthem to be always above the mercury therein. The said tubes run in vertical lines in a plane parallel with that of the board 3, preferably.` riihey are tightly fitted in holes provided for them in the mat 10 and shelf 1l at the one end, the shelf being bisected diametrically on the line 26, Fig. 2, and the halves thereof pressed against opposite sides of the tubes, by a through bolt 27. At the other end, the tubes are caught between cleats 23 and 29, placed across the top of the receiver, one upon each half of the lid thereof, the halves of the lid as well as the two cleats, it is understood, being suit- -ably cut into to let pass and surround the downwardly-projecting ends of the said tubes. The ends of the front cleat 28y are strapped tothe board 3, with metal bands 30, and the rear cleat 29 is held to the front one and its said bands or straps by through bolts 31. In this way the tubes are maintained firmly in their perpendicular position, in parallelism with the board 3 and with each other, and they can be quickly released whenever there is occasion to do so. Such parts of the tubes as enter the reservoir are enveloped in rubber sleeves 32, 33,

like the previously-mentioned bolts 1S, for

the like purpose of preventing leakage of the mercury where they pass through the shelf and mat.

The aforesaid tubes 24 and 25 inclose and guide a series of small wooden buckets 34, sewed on or otherwise suitably fastened to an endless leather belt 35, and designed tor above from which the pumps are to be supplied. This bucket contrivance constitutes f7 The belt the feeder before mentioned. passes around pulleys 36 and 3'?, the former located in the mercury-ieserVoir, and the latter journaled in a hanger 33, which is suspended from the cleat 28 by a suitable fastening, as 39, and projects downward into the mercury-receiver. The axle 4:0 of the upper pulley passes through the wooden ring of the mercury-resei'voir and is fitted in external bearings Lll, comprised in a takeup provided for tightening the belt as it stretches, and including parallel guide-bolts l2 for the said bearings to slide on, brackets i3 to which the said guide-bolts are secured on the said wooden ring, and adjusting screws 44 that press against ythe under sides of the bearings and operate to move the latter up or let them down as is required to put the right tension on they beit, and at the same time place and maintain the axes of the pulleys 36, 37, properly in parallelism one with the other. Motion is imparted to the said feeder by a drive-pulley 45, keyed on the axle l() and connected by adrivingbelt 4 6 with a prime mover (not shown). As the belt 35 moves, 'the buckets thereon successively dip into the receiver and scoop themercury from the bottom thereof, cai'- rying up the same and emptying into the reservoir. to go up through' either of the tubes connecting the receiver with the reservoir, and come down the other. According to the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, they ascend on the left and descend on the right, but the converse would be equally operative. The returning tube 25 does not extend quite as far up as the ascending tube 2e?, and above it is placed a delector 47, best seen in Fig. 3, which deflect-or is yieldably suspended from the wooden ring of the reservoir and wards off the mercury thrown out of the overturning buckets as they are drawn over and around the top pulley 36, thus preventing any but an inappreciable amount of the mercury lfrom dropping into the said tube 25. Braces or brackets 4S, conveniently secured to the board 3 and cleat 28, are provided at the lower end of the feeder to support itsfweight.- The bands or straps 30, hereinbefore mentioned, also take up part of the weight and help to oifset the vibration of parts when the feeder is in motion. Similar bands or straps 49 and 50 are provided at the upper end of the feeder, the

same serving respectively to hold the mercury-reservoir, its supporting shelf, and the thereto appertaining part of the feeder in rigid connection with the board 3. To allow the feeder to be lifted as a whole, in order These buckets maybe arranged l. l O

V55, 56. The set-bolts pass through suitable holes in the board and when loosened can slide up or down within slots 57, 58, formed in or between the said bars or blocks, and upon being tightened they will hold the board, and the parts carried thereby, at the desired height.

Each mercury-pump has its own reservoir 59, and includes a downwardly-running delivery-tube 60 therefor, two bar OHll-C tubes 61, 62, adapted to discharge one into the other through a nozzle ordripper" 63, and an air-chamber 64, interposed between the two last-named tubes, connecting them with each other and with the object' or objects to be exhausted of air, and also having a means of communication with a mechanical pump (not shown). v

Tntermediate the tube 60, and receiving the mercury from theupper part thereof, is a vial 65, in which is immersed a ygooseneck 66, integral with the lower part of the same tube. This forms a trap for the mercury first flowing out of the reservoir 59, the impurities of which are carried linto the neck of the vial while the cleaner mercury is drawn from the'bottom of the vial through the gooseneck 66. A vent or relief tube 67 is connected to the tube 60, below its gooseneck, the said tube 67 extending upward to a height commensurate with that of the reservoir 59. The lower end of the said delivery-A tube discharges into a vial 68, in which the lower end of the barometric tube 61 isimmersed, thereby forming a second trap for the mercury before it can reach thenozzle or dripper 63. The gooseneck 66 and the barometric tube 61 enter the necks of their respective vials through suitable Stoppers, as 69. The lower end of the barometric tube 62l is similarly immersed in a cup or glass 70, containing mercury and suspended by wires 71, within a larger glass 72, which constitutes an individual receiver for each mercury-pump. This receiver 72 is provided with a bottom outlet 73, coupled to a returnpipe 7 4, which leads all mercury overflowing from the cup back into the receiver 6, the latter and the return-pipe being common to all the mercury-pumps.

The nozzle or dripper 63 is integral with the upper end of the barometric tube 61,'projecting downward from a lateral extension 75, thereof and entering thatpart of the aforesaid air-chamber 64 which interconnects the two barometric tubes. The'airchamber consists of a lglass vessel formed into a cup 76 with a hollow stem 77 ,at the point where the nozzle enters it, the tapering end of the nozzle being tightly fitted in rubber packing 78 placed inside the stem, and the butt thereof dipping in mercury with which the Vcup is filled, as at 7 9 `(Fig. 1) thus forming a seal at that. point. Aboss 80 on the nozzle prevents it' from :being pushed or drawn in too farinside the air-chamber', by bearing on the vrubber 7 8, The inlet to the air-chamber or vessel 64 is also in the shape of a mercury-illed cup 81 with packed hollow stem 82, both entered by a nozzle-like appendage 83 of a globular vessel 84, adapted to contain sulfuric acid or other chemical capable of drying air. The last-named vessel is of known construction and function, and into it is fitted, by a ground glass joint, the shaft of the usual fork 85, to which the objects to be exhausted, for example, lamptubes 86, are fused. The outlet ofk the airchamberlikewise consists of a nozzle-like appendiitious extension 87, mercury-sealed and packed in a cup 88, with hollow stem 89, formed at the upper end of the barometric tube 62. On the side remote from the tubes 6l, 62, ythe airfcharnber has an auxiliary faucet-like outlet90, provided with a rotary valve 91, and adapted for connection with the mechanical pump hy means' of a rubber tube 92.

The tubing employed in ythe construction of the several mercury-pumps is for the greater part made of glass, in sectionsv of moderate length, united by short sections of rubber, as 9.3, 94, 95 and 96. This combination of glass and rubber tubing or tubular sections makes the pumps easy to manufacture and repair, and in the case of the section 93, to be found bielow the individual reservoir of each pump, it a'ords a ready means of checking the flow from this reser` voir, by compression of the tubular section here referred to, in case of choking of the pump and sudden rise of the mercury into theV air-chamber, such compression being effected with a pairvof pliers or other suitable instrument. are Vheld vertically on the boards (4, 5, etc), of the apparatus by clips 97 and so are the individual reservoirs 59, vials" 65, 68, airchambers 64, globular vessels 84, and individual receivers 72 kept in ylike position on the frame of the vapparatus and its said boards, by similar clips 98, 99, 100, 101, and

102. Apertures 103 are made in the boards for the globes 84 to project through, and similar apertures may be providedfor other protuberant parts of the pumps, wherever necessary or expedient.

The before-mentioned feed-pipe 22 is supported upon and along the top of the frame v1 by two or more'uprights, as 104, Figs. 1

and` 2. This pipe supplies` with mercury all the individual reservoirs 59 appertain- The various sections of tubing' ing to the Vseries of mercury-pumps, each through a line of tubes 105, 106, 107, coupled to the said pipe. :See Fig. 4. By preference, the tube 105 is made of rubber, the tube 106 of glass, and the tube 107 also of rubber. The tubes 100 and 107 both enter the individual reservoir, in each case, through the cover thereof (108). Tn he lower end of the tube 107 is inserted the stem 100 of a hollow glass bulb 110, which is laterally apertured as at 111, and to which is attached a spherical glass float 112, by links 113 and staples 1111. The mercury, it will be understood, can flow into the reservoir 59 only through the said line of tubes and the side opening in the bulb connected therewith, and as it fills the reservoir, it causes the iioat to rise and carry up also the bulb-bearing flexible tube 107, producing` a bend and kink therein, as at 115, Fig. 1, which automatically operates "to cut off the supply of mercury when it becomes over-abundant.

An electric alarm-bell 116 (Figs. 1 and is provided to give warning in case the automatic cut-off or governor' just described should become inoperative through any cause and there would be danger of an overflow from any of theyindividual reservoirs. This bell is connected by wires, as 117 and 118, to the feed-pipe 22 and to a binding-post 119 on the cover 108 of each individual reservoir. The ,mercury flowing through the pipe and its connections into the reservoir completes the circuit upon reaching the binding-post, the lower end of which isv screwed through the cover 108, as clearly shown in Fig. t. f

`When an alarm is sounded by the bell 116,01l whenever at other, times it is desii-ed to shut out the mercury lfrom any of the pumps, the rubber tube 105 is compressed and closed by means of a handclamp` provided thereon. This clamp consists of a yoke 120, carrying a slidable pressure-bar 121, driven by a screw 122. The tube is caught inthe bow of the yoke, and as the bar is screwed down, it pinches the rubber so as to effectively stop allliow of mercury therethrough.

yThe operation of the apparatus is obvious to any person familiar with the working of a mercury-pump. A full exhaust can be produced through the use of any of the mercury-pumps alone. Thus, looking at the pump attached to the board 4:, Fig. 1, it will be seen that the continuous 'stream of mercury issuing from the feeder yand flowing through .the delivery-tube 60 and thereto connected barometric tube 61, and thence directed in the form of a jet, through the nozzle 63, into the second barometric tube 62, would with a proper allowance of time create a nearly perfect vacuum in the air-chamber 64: and laxnutubes. But it is more expeditious to resort first to the mechanical pump to produce a preliminary lower vacuum. Tn the latter case, it is not necessary to use any more mercury than is shown in the pump attached to the board 5. That isto` say. it will suffice to ll the vial 68 and cup 70, so that the mechanical pump, after being connected with the open faucet of the air-chamber Gl, may bring the barome-tric columns in the tubes 01, 02, each to a height of 28 inches or thereabout. When this has been done, the valve 91 is closed, tliemechanical pump disconnected, and the full stream of mercury turned on as in the pump attached to board 4l. The stream is kept up from the feeder until the tube 02 shows a practically solid shaft of mercury, freed of air-bubbles. The exhaustion ofthe lamp-tubes is then completed by passing an electric current throughl their terminals 123, 12e/l, to cause their filaments to become incandescent, and drawing out the occluded or remaining gases, in the usual manner. Bunches of insulated wires, as 126, 127,` and binding-posts therefor, as 128, 120, are provided by the side of each mercury-pump on the frame of the apparatus, to apply the electric current as just said.

YVhile l have minutely described the several parts of my invention and laid bare its underlyingl principle, so that it can be easily practised by others, let lit be distinctly understood that l do not thereby confine myself to the` exact construction and disposition of elements herein set forth, as l see different ways in which the same can be l diversified and yet considered as fully within the pale of the invention.

I claim- 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a mercury-pump, an individual `reservoirtherefor, a supply of mercury, a

flexible discharge-tube connecting said supply 'with said individual reservoir, and a Float operating to shut ofl1 the mercury by carrying 'upthe delivery end of said tube.

.2. A mercury-pump of the character described comprising two barometric tubes, one adapted to discharge into the other, a supply-tube, and traps connected with the tubes'whereby the mercury is relieved of its impurities du 1ing its passage through the pump.

3. An apparatus 'of the character described comprising a mercury-pump made of suitable tubing, an individual reservoir for said pump, a main reservoir supplying the mercury to the individual reservoir, and traps in the tubing, vthe arrangement being such that the mercury in each instance is drawn from the bottom of the main reservoir, individual'reservoirs and traps, there by making the pump self-cleaning.

. En a Inercurialv pump, an individual reservoir therefor, a supply tank connected therewith, a liexible discharge tube located within the reservoir, a perforated bulb connected to said tube, and a float operating to shut off the mercury by carrying said bulb up.

5. In a mercurial pump, an individual reservoir therefor, a supply of mercury, a iiexible discharge tube connecting said supply withsaid individual reservoir and being located within the reservoir, a perforated bulb, and a iioat attached to said bulb.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising two baroinetric tubes, one adapted to discharge into tlie'other, a supply-pipe connected therewith, an air-chamber interposed betweenl the tubes, and means for effecting a communication between said air-chamber and a mechanical pump.

An apparatus of the character described comprising a mercurypump having two barometric tubes, one made of flexibly-interconnected sections and adapted to discharge into the other, a supply-pipe and means for flexibly connecting it with the first of saidV tubes.

8. An apparatus of the character described p comprising` a mercury pump, a source of mercury and a iioat-controlled device for controlling the supply of mercury to the pump from the said source.

9. The combination of a mercury pump, a main reservoir, an intermediate reservoir, and iexible connections between the two reservoirs and between the pump and inter-V a main reservoir, and .a valve-controlled connection between the reservoirs.

12. rIhe combination of a mercury pump, a main reservoir above the same, an intermediate reservoir, a connection leading from the main reservoir into the intermediate reservoir, and adevice located wholly-within the intermediate reservoir for interrupting the flow of mercury into the latter when the mercury reaches a predetermined height.

13. The combination of a mercury pump, a main reservoir, an intermediate reservoir,

-a conduit leading from` the main to the intermediate reservoir and having a flexible portion within the latter, and means for acting on the flexible portion of the conduit to interrupt the iiow therethrough when the mercury in the intermediate reservoir attains a predetermined height.

let. IThe combination of a mercury pump, a reservoir connected therewith and having a cover, a rigid tube section extending into the reservoir and connected with the cover, a lexible tube section connected with the first-mentioned section, a fioat connected with the flexible section for kinking the same when the mercury attains a predetermined height in the reservoir, and a source of mercury supply connected with the said rigid tube section. i Y

15. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mercury pump consisting of connected barometric tubes, a reservoir connected with the inlet of the pump, and a vent tube adjacent the inlet of the pumpand extending above the reservoir.

16. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mercury pump including a trap and gooseneck at its inlet end, a source of mercury connected with the trap, and a vent'tube connected with the pump below the gooseneck and extending above the source of mercury.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

n DENNIS JSEPH OBRIEN.

Witnesses:

CEAS. DORNBACH, A..l H. STE MARIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C. 

